Thanks for writing this article and getting the discussion started.

I think every serious program provider wishes that every parent would consider some of the criteria outlined above.

I do agree with my colleague from Visions that different types of programs might be right for different students. At Global Leadership Adventures, we offer programs around different topics and with varying degrees of getting students out of their comfort zones.

Thanks again for the article.

Andrew

P.S. Thank you for being transparent about the relationship between Matador and Where There Be Dragons. Contrary to the other person’s comment – I appreciate that the relationship is clearly disclosed to the reader.

Thanks for this solid piece of writing that cuts through the fluff around “teen adventure and community service summer camps”. Actual travel style, chosen locations, staff, group size/ratio, intercultural interaction, the history of the organization – and especially the way they create relationships with service hosts – are often missed by parents, or intentionally obscured by flashy websites, breathless copy, or bikini/boardshort-clad teens. But these details inevitably represent the overall PHILOSOPHY of the organization and the CARE that they choose to take of their participants, and their ultimate INVESTMENT in the experience they provide.

Ask these 9 questions of me at my chosen place of work: http://www.deerhillexpeditions.com

ps. RE: Nasty Commenter Dan above, we’d love to hear what organization you work for and what history you have with WTBD.

We’re proud of the balance we strike between education, cultural experiences, and a variety of engaging activities while abroad. We’d appreciate being listed among your links, and feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have.

As Mark Twain wrote in 1869 after a trip through Europe, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness… Broad, wholesome, charitable views cannot be acquired by vegetating in one’s little corner of the earth.”